Repeal vote just GOP's first step

The highly anticipated vote Wednesday to repeal the health care reform bill will make headlines and count as a promise kept by House Republicans.

But in the end, it’s really just for show.

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The real work begins immediately afterward, with Republicans using every legislative and political tool at their disposal to wage a two-year campaign against the overhaul. And there won’t be anything subtle about this slow-drip strategy as Republicans aim to erode public confidence in the law and, they hope, make it so politically unpalatable that even some Democrats turn against it.

House committee chairmen will haul administration officials before their panels, pressing for answers to questions that they feel have been ignored. GOP leaders will call for votes on bills dismantling pieces of the law, such as the mandate requiring all Americans to buy insurance. They will try to choke off funding at every turn, starting with the stop-gap funding measure that expires in March. (See: Democrats seek redo of health care pitch)

And, eventually, they will offer an alternative health care reform plan, one that could be pushed legislatively in 2012 and beyond — if they win the Senate and the White House, the holy grail of their long-term strategy. (See: Health care lobby mum on repeal)

For the next two years, at least, the Democratic-controlled Senate will stymie the House, acting as a backstop for President Barack Obama and making it impossible for Republicans to fully dismantle the law. But that doesn’t mean House Republicans intend to pay much heed to the upper chamber. (See: Health law repeal on Tuesday agenda)

“If we have resolve, it comes down to who blinks,” said Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa), one of the most ardent opponents of the law. “We won’t blink.”

Here’s a look at the seven key GOP strategies in the unfolding health care debate:

Senate showdown. Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) will try to keep the Senate from becoming the place where the repeal bill goes to die.

But nobody expects him to succeed.

McConnell will push for a vote on the House bill after the body returns next week, even though Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) has made clear that he will do everything he can to block the measure.